Arizona Eye: Never fear, the Boy Scouts are here!

On Saturday, our eleven-year-old patrol was out for another adventure. We went on what started as a normal eight mile hike in Bear Canyon (next to Sabino Canyon). The hike in took us around two hours and was rewarded by the flowing cool water at seven falls. The boys enjoyed swimming, rock climbing, and exploring the area. We then decided to hike back. As we were leaving Steve Gay noticed a lady relaxing under the shadow of a rock and asked if she was doing okay. Her response led Steve to offer her our services escorting her all the way back to the trail head. The woman's name was Connie and after about one minute of hiking we knew that our hike was no longer going to be ordinary. The boys helped Connie every step of the way by providing a strong arm to hold when she became unbalanced and providing her with Gatorade and Skittles. It turned out that Connie was on a diet medication that made her dehydrated and she is 65 years old.

The situation grew worse and worse until we decided to rest under a tree. At that point I could tell that we were not going to be able to get her out by her own strength. We called the ranger station who quickly told us to dial 911. Within an hour the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (SAR) arrived and continued handling the situation. A horse and mule were en route as well, but the volunteers of SAR decided that she wouldn't be able to make it out by horseback and decided to call in the helicopter.

I was impressed with how well our boys handled the situation and how they were able to apply the skills that they learned in scouting. The boys are currently working on their Emergency Preparedness merit badge and this trip provided an excellent opportunity to apply their skills. This is just another example of the positive influence of the scouting program. However, the numerous stories like this don't make the evening news, while the stories not supportive of scouting somehow find their way in the lime light.

Jeremy Baldwin
Troop 331